The objective of the submitted paper is to analyze the influence of the load on the calibration of micro-hardness and hardness testers. The results were validated by Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Z-score. The relationship between the load and micro-hardness in calibration of microhardness testers cannot be explained by Kick's Law (Meyer's index "n" is different from 2). The conditions of Kick's Law are satisfied at macro-hardness calibration, the values of "n" are close to 2, regardless of the applied load. The apparent micro-hardness increases with the increase of the load up to 30 g; the reverse indentation size effect (ISE) behavior is typical for this interval of the loads. The influence of the load on the measured microhardness is statistically significant for majority of calibrations.

The influence of applied loads between 0.09807 N and 0.9807 N on measured values of micro-hardness was evaluated by Meyer's index n, proportional specimen resistance model (PSR) and Hays -Kendall methods, Total Dispersion Zone and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The measurement was repeated 6 times using the same hardness reference block with standard hardness Hc = 327 HV0.05 as a sample. The influence of the load on the measured value of micro-hardness is statistically significant, and the relationship between applied load and micro-hardness manifests reverse indentation size effect (ISE) for most of "measurements". The high value of the uncertainty of results can affect the existence and nature of ISE, especially at low loads.

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<p class="AMStitle">Abstract</p><p class="AMSmaintext">The aim of the submitted work is to study the influence of applied  loads ranging from 0.09807 N to 0.9807 N on measured values of micro-hardness of heat treated aluminum alloy 6082. The influence of applied load on a measured value of micro-hardness was evaluated by Meyer’s index n, PSR method and by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).  The influence of the load on the measured value of micro-hardness is statistically significant and the relationship between the applied load and micro-hardness manifests the moderate reverse ISE. As the temperature of the solution treatment rises, the YS/UTS ratio and also Meyer’s index n, measured and “true hardness“  increase. On the other hand, its effect on the plastic properties of the alloy is ambiguous.</p>

The aim of the submitted work is to study the influence of applied loads ranging from 0.09807 N to 0.9807 N on measured values of micro-hardness of heat treated carbon steel. The influence of applied load on measured value of micro-hardness was evaluated by Meyer's index n, PSR method and by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The influence of the load on the measured value of micro-hardness is statistically significant and the relationship between applied load and micro-hardness manifests the moderate reverse ISE. As far as the relationship between measured hardness and load independent "true hardness", the best fit was obtained between HV0.05 and "true hardness" calculated using index a 2 .

The aim of the submitted work is to study the relationship between the local deformation and the indentation size effect (ISE). A local value of reduction of the area (Z) was used as the measure of the deformation. Applied loads in the micro-hardness test ranged between 0.09807 to 0.9807 N. The micro-hardness was measured on the cross section in the longitudinal axis of the fractured sample after the uniaxial tension test. The material of the sample was 99.5% aluminium. The influence of both load and deformation on the ISE was evaluated by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The influence of the load was also evaluated by Meyer’s index n, PSR method, and Hays–Kendall approach. The influence of both factors on the measured value of micro-hardness and therefore on the ISE is statistically significant. The ISE is normal in the areas with high deformation, on the contrary, in areas with low deformation, it has a “reverse” character. The difference between load independent “true hardness” and measured micro-hardness HV0.05 increases with increasing deformation.

The purpose of the paper was to evaluate the probability of the top event in the fluidity test by Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). One of the important tests used in the foundry practice is the test of the fluidity. Fluidity is the ability of the molten metal to fill the cavity of the molds and create a cast. The AlSi10MgMn (EN 1706) alloy with 5 or 10.54 % of silica was the experimental material. The melted alloy was cast into "horizontal" three-channel mold to test its fluidity. The pouring temperatures were between 605 and 830 °C. In some cases, the experiment was not successful, for a some reasons. This fact led to a waste of time, energy, potential risk of accident, confusion among participants, especially "beginners" founders and became an impulse for the analysis of creation and possible events of fault for the fluidity test using the FTA. It has been found that for the probability of the top event in examined process was disproportionately high (0.29824). The Monte Carlo method was used for the simulation of the effect of decreasing the probability of basic events on the probability of the top event – the fault of the fluidity test.

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